Symbolic links between Gobekli Tepe and Catalhoyuk (updated)

There are numerous symbolic links between Catalhoyuk (Central Turkey, 7100-6000 BCE) and Gobekli Tepe (southern Turkey, ~10,000-8000 BCE) that show they probably knew the same (or similar) astronomical zodiacal system.

The Master/Mistress-of-Animals

First, see here for a list of known 'Master/Mistress-of-Animals' symbols from around the Near Eastern region. Above is a 3rd millennium BCE example from Ur, Mesopotamia.

We also have a Mistress-of-Animals, or Potnia Theron, at Catalhoyuk (above). This shows symbolism from the 8th millennium BCE survived until the Bronze and Iron Ages.

We now also have a Master-of-Animals at Sayburc, one of the Tas Tepeler sites and only around 25 km from Gobekli Tepe (above). This suggests it is possible for symbolism to survive from the time of Gobekli Tepe through to the Bronze and Iron ages too. If these symbols can survive this long, then so can constellations and their symbols.

Catalhoyuk Wall Reliefs

Now consider that at Catalhoyuk, there are only four kinds of 'wall relief' (these are those wall installations involving repeated coatings of plaster and paint to create symbols with raised surfaces) which were ursine (bear), bovine (bull), feline (leopard) and ovine (ram). These four kinds of shrine are described by the site's lead excavator, Ian Hodder, in his book "Catalhoyuk: the leopard's tale" (2011). This is exactly what we can expect for a religious system focussed on the solstices and equinoxes, with shrines dedicated to the respective zoomorphic constellations, as predicted by Gurshtein (2005). We also have evidence that the tower at Jericho was used to observe the summer solstice, circa 8000 BCE (see previous blog post).

Now consider Pillar 43 at Gobekli Tepe that highlights four other animal symbols, each next to symbols that are also known to symbolise the sun in later cultures, especially Egypt and Sumer. The circular disk is an obvious symbol for the sun, used in many places including Egypt.

Encylcopedia Brittanica Online.

The semi-circles at the top of Pillar 43 are known to mean 'sun' and units of time in 4th millennium BCE Sumer. They are used together with animal symbols on various artefacts from the region which can be interpreted as providing zodiacal dates, including the one below from Jiroft (Iran) which also includes a Master-of-Animals symbol.

Jiroft stone weight, 3rd millennium BCE.

The Splayed Bear (~Virgo)

At Catalhoyuk, one of the main wall installations was the bear-shrine. Originally, this symbol was thought to represent a goddess, but recent discoveries indicate they were bears instead (again, see Hodder's book). Below, far right, is a seal stamp from Catalhoyuk in the form of a bear. Next to it is a typical bear-shrine wall relief. Their faces are all damaged, making identification difficult. But given their similarity with the seal stamp, they have been identified as bear shrines. They normally have circles on their bellies. These likely symbolise the summer solstice constellation. At this time, the constellation was Virgo, which is the summer solstice constellation from around 7300-4300 BCE.

On the far-left above is a symbol from Pillar 43. It is likely the same symbol as the one next to it which was recovered from Gobekli Tepe and is now in Sanliurfa museum. Clearly, they are the same as the symbols from Catalhoyuk, indicating they symbolise the same constellation, similar to Virgo. Note how these are very specific kinds of animal symbol; they have a particular shape. If these were simply pictures of bears, would they have this very specific and consistent pose with their limbs bent in this particular way? Probably not. Clearly they are symbols, and their unusual shape could be expected of constellation symbols.

At the time of the Younger Dryas impact, Virgo was the spring equinox constellation (but only just, the spring equinox constellation would soon become Leo). This means, if our hypothesis is correct, we expect to see this symbol at the top-right of Pillar 43. Of course, this is exactly where we find it. No other theory (to my knowledge) can explain this in a very simple way. That is, no other theory can easily explain why the same symbol appears at the top right of Pillar 43 next to a semi-circle symbol while it is also one of the main shrine symbols at Catalhoyuk, where it displays a circle on its belly.

The Bull (~Capricornus)

One of the other wall relief symbols at Catalhoyuk is the bull.

The bull also features at Gobekli Tepe on Pillar 2, where it stands in mid-air above a fox and bending bird? 

And yet, on Pillar 43 we have a different sequence of three animals at the top of the pillar, next to sunset-like symbols;

Why?

The astronomical theory easily explains this too. The three symbols at the top of Pillar 43, next to sunset-like symbols, are expressing a zodiacal date (probably the YD impact), consistent with Gurshtein's theory. Therefore, they are not adjacent symbols in the zodiac. On Pillar 2, however, these probably are adjacent symbols in the zodiac. Only the bending bird is the same. If we take the bending bird to symbolise Pisces (as expected from decoding Pillar 43), then the fox and bull on Pillar 2 could symbolise Aquarius and Capricornus (or constellations similar to them) which are the next constellations along the zodiac from Pisces. This fits perfectly for the following reasons.

1. At Catalhoyuk, Capricornus (the bull) is the autumn equinox constellation until around 6400 BCE, whereupon the autumn equinox constellation transfers to Sagittarius (more about this later).

2. At the time of the Younger Dryas impact, we expect the Taurid meteor stream would have radiated from Capricornus (the bull) through Aquarius (the fox) to Pisces (the bending bird). Which gives Pillar 2.

3. At the time Lascaux Cave was occupied (~ 15,000 BCE), Capricornus (the bull) was the summer solstice constellation (just). The entrance to the cave, known as the Hall of Bulls, is oriented directly towards the setting sun on the summer solstice. This explains why the bull symbol is chosen in the cave entrance - as a marker of the summer solstice.

4. In the Lascaux Shaft Scene, we see a disembowelled bull pierced by a spear. If the bull symbol represents Capricornus, as expected, then the spear likely symbolises a cosmic impact, killing both the bull and the man on the ground. Note that at this time, the Taurid meteor stream would have radiated mainly from Capricornus.

So Capricornus was both the summer solstice and the central radiant point of the Taurid meteor stream at that time (15,000 BCE). At about the same time, there is a population crash in Aquitaine, southern France. The image below is from Barshay-Szmidt et al. (2016), which shows an abrupt end to the Late Middle Magdalenian culture in Aquitaine (see the 'hole' in the upper panel, which is not reproduced in the lower panel which corresponds to Northern Spain).

The bird-of-prey (Sagittarius)

Wall paintings of birds of prey (vultures?) typically appear in the upper levels of Catalhoyuk, after around 6400 BCE. This is explained perfectly by an astronomical interpretation, since the autumn equinox constellations transfers from Capricornus (the bull) the Sagittarius (the bird-of-prey) around this time.

However, at the time of the Younger Dryas impact, Sagittarius is the summer solstice constellation. This explains why it appears on Pillar 43 next to a disk (sun) symbol (see above). This also explains why there are headless men on both Pillar 43 and next to the vultures at Catalhoyuk. It is probably a reference to death and the Younger Dryas impact. Sagittarius is, therefore, closely associated with death.

The Egyptian hawk (Horus-the-Elder) symbol is one of Egypt's oldest deities. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica;

"Rulers of the Predynastic Period in Egypt (c. 6000-3150 BCE) were known as "Followers of Horus" which attests to an even earlier point of veneration in Egypt's history."

This correlates well with Sagittarius, which is the autumn equinox constellation from around 6400 - 4100 BCE.